Thorns of Galbadia
by Lady Scarlett Orihime
Summary: When Quistis is made headmistress of Galbadia Garden, she is forced to take Seifer with her. We can only guess what happens next. Seiftis. Rated T for slight language and possible violence.
1. Chapter 1

All Garden was quiet as the previously busy students and staff stopped what they were doing as they heard a very annoyed voice ring out over the intercom.

"YOU WANT ME TO WHAT?!" Quistis Trepe, a current instructor at Balamb, advanced towards Squall, who was already starting to fear for his life from the moment he announced what she had to do and now it was even worse since she started to yell. "You want me to do what now?"

Squall slowly tried to regain his composure and looked away from what many would call "the face of doom". "I'm appointing you headmistr-"

"I KNOW THAT!!!!!" The blonde haired instructor stopped as she was at arm's length from him. "But what was the last part?"

"You have to take Seifer with you..."

"No. No way!" Quistis shook her head and proceeded to back off from him. "I'll take the job, but I will not go with...with...HIM!"

Squall started to protest, but stopped as he heard the "him" echo over the speakers in the hall outside his office and looked over to where his left hand was and lifted it up to show the intercom's light was green and not the usual red. He then slowly looked over at Quistis who had followed his gaze and nervously laughed before proceeding to turn it off and moved from the spot.

"Please Quisty?" He let his gaze fall and stay on her for the first time since he broke the news to her. "Please?"

"No, absolutely not! I will not work with him."

"Quisty!!! Please!"

"I won't! I refuse to! Besides...I DON'T LIKE SEIFER!" After realizing what she just said, Quistis tried to think of something else to erase the recent statement. "I mean...umm...you see..."

Squall stared at his former instructor before continuing. "I never said you did...and you don't have to. He's just going to be your assistant. Just...please! Take him! Get him out of here! Please Quisty?"

_Ugh...how much longer is he going to call me that?!_ She stayed silent for awhile before sighing again. "Fine. I'll take him. BUT!" She shot Squall an icy glare. "If he makes one false move, I'm sending him back here. Got it?"

"But--"

"I. Will. Send. Him. Back." She turned to advance towards him once more. "Got it?" She smiled as Squall nodded slowly. "Good."

"Well...I'll tell you the rest in the morning before you two leave." Squall took his seat behind the desk and watched as his former instructor nodded and left, then reached for the intercom...

Quistis stepped out of the elevator as Squall's voice came over the speakers.

_"All faculty and students, please ignore the earlier 'announcement'. We were just..." _He fell silent for a few seconds. _"...TESTING the system. Thank you."_

Quistis laughed to herself and continued down towards stairs into the main hall when she heard her name being called ad turned to see a girl in blue coming towards her.

"Is it true? Are you REALLY leaving Balamb to go work at Galbadia?" The brown haired SeeD stared at Quistis, searching for an answer, but the look on her face showed that she knew it was true, but wanted to hear otherwise. "You aren't really leaving us...are you?"

"I'm sorry, Selphie." Quistis flashed a small, slightly sad smile. "It is." She stared at the girl as she looked down, dissapointment clearly visable on the young SeeD's face. "But...I'll keep in touch...and I'll even come to the Garden Festival, okay?"

Selphie slowly looked up and nodded. "You better! And don't forget!!" She smiled and ran off, turning once to yell a goodbye.

"Bye..." Quistis waved and headed in the opposite direction towards the dorms, looking up to see the night sky already visable. _I should probably get some sleep...it's easier to talk to Squall when fully awake than--_ Her thoughts were interrupted as she bumped into someone as she turned into the hall leading to the dorms. "Sorry...I wasn't paying atten-"

"I would say you weren't..._Instructor._"

_Wonderful...just wonderful..._Quistis quickly recovered and glared at the person she ran into. "Seifer...It's late and we're leaving in the morning for Galbadia. So you should go to-"

"We're? Who's this 'we're'?" Seifer, another former student of her's and also the head of Garden's Disciplinary Committee and currently her problem and a constant thorn in Squall's side. "Well?"

"There's myself..." She paused and then continued as he continued to stare at her in a way that said 'well hurry!' "...and you."

"You're kidding me...right?" Seifer stared at her and when she shook her head, he shook his head as well. "Great. Just..great!" He quickly kicked the small wall near him and pushed past Quistis, heading towards the training center, mumbling inaudible words along the way.

After watching him walk off, she recovered from this exit and continued towards her room, instantly falling into bed as she entered, hopes and fears of the task she was just given weighed heavily on her mind as she slept her last night at Balamb away.

A/N: FINALLY! This idea has been in production for 3 years now (at least). It originally was going to take place in Winhill but I thought about it just last night and decided that it would be Galbadia instead, since they don't have a headmaster for Garden there

But enjoy!


	2. Never Again

Never Again

Finding herself awake earlier than usual, Quistis began packing, something she kept telling herself she should have done before falling asleep the night before. A few hours passed and she looked around at the now bare room that was once filled with pictures of the gang. "Never again..." She quickly wiped away a lone tear that had started to fall. _No...No crying. I can't...Not now at least._ She jumped as she heard a knock at the door, followed by Selphie's voice. "Come in."

Selphie entered the room and shut the door behind her. "You're up early...Nervous?"

Quistis started to shake her head, but stopped. "Yeah, kind of. I mean, I'm more than happy to be headmistress, don't get me wrong. Just..." She sighed. "I'm going to miss Garden and everyone here, you know?"

"Yeah." Selphie nodded and smiled. "I felt the same when I began my transfer here. Trabia was my home...and always will be, just like Balamb has and always will be for you."

They stood in silence for a few minutes before Quistis finally spoke up once more. "Since you're here...You wouldn't mind helping me carry these to the car, would you?"

Selphie shook her head and promptly picked up a few of the bags. "Of course not!" She turned and started walking towards the door, at first ignoring the weight of the bags. Upon realizing how heavy they were, she slightly stumbled and, from Quistis's point of view, almost collided with the door knob.

Containing her laughter, Quistis dropped the bags she was holding and rushed to Selphie's side. "You okay?"

"Ow..." Selphie dropped one of the bags and started rub her forehead. "Kinda...I just have a headache now...owwww..." She looked up at Quistis. "What do you have in these? Bricks?"

This time, she let that laughter out. "No. Just books." Still laughing, she helped Selphie up, who was still rubbing the same spot on her forehead.

"Well it **should** be bricks..." She pulled open the door and picked up the other bag. "Oh, Squall said to just leave the door unlocked. He'll get someone to lock it for you, kay?"

Quistis nodded and grabbed the bags she had been carrying and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Hours later, Quistis found herself, along with Seifer, Fujin and Raijin stading at Balamb Station. Placing her bags with his in the loading bin, she sighed and caught a bit of Seifer's complaining.

"...why I have to go." Seifer mumbled a few other words and continued. "What point is there to send me to another Garden with a once mediocre instructor?"

Before Fujin and Raijin could answer, the announcement that the train leaving for Timber was ready for boarding came over the system.

"Come on Seifer..." Sighing she walked past the three and entered the train, immediately turning her attention to the door leading to the SeeD cabins and inserted the ticket. _It's a long trip...__**someone's**__ going to want to get some sleep..._ She felt the train jolt foward a few minutes later and turned to see Seifer standing by the door, looking a bit peeved at the idea of him having to leave Balamb as well. "What's so wrong with you coming along to Galbadia with me?"

Seifer let out a sigh and shook his head. "It's nothing. I'll be in the room if you need me." With that, he walked past her and disappeared behind the door.

Sighing she too entered the cabin car and stared out one of the windows. "Never again will I see you..." She sighed at the thought. "Who knows." Smiling to herself, she proceeded to enter the room and saw that Seifer had already made himself comfortable on the couch, but noticed that he slowly sat up when he saw that she was in the room.

"Yes?"

"I didn't say anything...did I?"

Seifer shook his head and looked away. "You looked like you were going to."

"Probably...who knows." She looked around the room before walking towards him. "It's been awhile since I've seen these rooms. Yet I never forget how nice they loo-" She felt the train stop suddenly and found herself closer to Seifer than she would have liked to be at that moment.

_What the...?! _Seifer stared at Quistis, who was staring straight back at him, probably just as confused as he was. _I never would have thought I would have ever thought this, but...she actually looks pretty cute right now..._

_Who would have ever known he actually looked cute confused? _Quistis stared at Seifer and after a few minutes of complete silence, the captain's voice came over the speakers.

_"We apologize for that abrupt stop. Something became jammed between the track and the wheels. We should be running in no time. Again, we apologize for that abrupt stop. Something became-"_

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!!!!!!!!!!!"

The two were now standing, both pointing at the other.

"No. You must have planned that..that..that incident!" Quistis, still pointing at Seifer, looked away. "I would never 'delibrately' fall into your lap like that!"

Seifer, also still pointing back, let out a small laugh. "Like I'm going to believe that crap."

Letting out an angry sounding sigh, Quistis stopped pointing and sent Seifer an icy glare. "We don't talk about this to Squall or the others. Got it?"

"Tch...fine with me. Like I **want** people to know you purpose-I mean _accidently_ fell into my lap." Seifer sighed and retook his seat on the couch. "I'm going to sleep. Wake me when we get to Timber..." He then proceeded to lay back down and turn to where his back faced Quistis. _Though...it was nice...For once she was herself._

"Sure..." Sighing also, she turned and headed out into the hall and stared out the window and into the sea. "Never again..." _I saw the true him...I know it._

A/N: Awwwwwwwwwwwww!!!! Yeah...I had to throw in that Selphie incident...I mean what's Selphie without her falling sometimes, right? And the same with Quisty and her books!

Oh! _Internet_ hugs and cookies to the person that can guess what the chapter title's from? Depending on the mood of the chapter and the mood of the song if I'm listening to one I will put it as the chapter title. Otherwise it's just plain chapter 1...2...3...etc.


End file.
